There are times when teams have had problems in the cold weather and just did not play well, or there was tonight and the play of the Maryland Terps that was just down right cold… their offense was colder than the low 30’s temperatures in Byrd Stadium tonight… It was so cold, the offense was non existent in a 37-3 loss to Florida State.
The Seminoles (8-3, 5-3) took advantage of the Terps woes including turning two turnovers into touchdowns in taking a 21-0 halftime lead. That was enough to ensure Maryland (7-4, 4-3) its first home loss of the season and ruin the Terrapins’ bid to win the league’s Atlantic Division.
“It just boggles my mind,” coach Ralph Friedgen said. “We just didn’t have it.”
“I just don’t understand how we can play so well one week and so poorly the next,” Friedgen said. “When you have that many seniors, a chance to play in the Orange Bowl and in Tampa (for the ACC title), it’s just disappointing.”
Turnover after turnover led to the touchdown that gave the Seminoles a 21-0 lead with 1:35 left in the half. Turner’s second interception of the game, this one by Toddrick Verdell, was returned 34 yards to the Maryland 38. Four plays later, Antone Smith ran in from the 1.
“Chris made some mistakes tonight. There are no excuses, we just played poorly all around tonight,” said Friedgen.
Florida State had nothing but good news on their sidelines tonight that also included late-arriving guest, Myron Rolle, who just two hours before the game won a Rhodes Scholarship. After learning at 5:25 p.m. that he had won, Rolle took a charter flight to Baltimore and arrived at Byrd Stadium at 8:34. Florida State fans gave Rolle, a junior safety, a standing ovation as he jogged toward the Seminoles sideline.